Group That Describes Voter ID Laws as “Suppression” Endorses Secretary of State Candidate Josh Boschee
Rep. Joshua Boschee is interviewed after his party's endorsement for Secretary of State at the ND Democratic convention Saturday. photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
A left wing 527 group called Let America Vote has endorsed Democratic Secretary of State candidate Josh Boschee.
“Josh Boschee is one of North Dakota’s strongest advocates for voting rights and he’ll be an outstanding secretary of state,” the group’s president Jason Kander said in a statement (see below). “Josh believes in removing barriers to the ballot box and ensuring that every eligible voter is heard on Election Day. Let America Vote is proud to endorse Josh Boschee as North Dakota’s next secretary of state.”
The group coordinated the announcement with Boschee’s campaign, as a quote from the candidate himself is included in the release.
“I am honored to receive Let America Vote’s endorsement in my campaign,” Boschee is quoted as saying. “The work that their team is doing to ensure that every American’s freedom to vote is protected and secured is integral to this year’s election. It is estimated that less than 50 percent of eligible North Dakotans will cast a ballot in this November’s election, and I believe we can do better. I am proud to stand with Let America Vote to encourage every eligible North Dakotan to vote this year. Our fundamental right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy.”
Boschee is right about that turnout number. Midterm elections do typically see a turnout percentage which comes in just under 50 percent. Here’s a chart, based on data from the Secretary of State’s office:
North Dakota Democrats do seem to be rolling the dice in coming out, pretty forcefully, against North Dakota’s voter ID laws. For instance, Senator Heidi Heitkamp recently suggested that the Republican-led Legislature passed voter ID laws specifically to suppress Native American and college-age voters. Of course, Heitkamp was silent on this supposed voter suppression until this election year. I suspect her pique now is manufactured. A stab at keeping those generally liberal constituencies in line (it’s been widely reported that Native American voters are cool on Heitkamp this cycle) even as she moves to the right and snuggles up to President Donald Trump.
And Let America Vote, founded by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (who, ironically enough, presided over some very sloppy elections in that state), is definitely against voter ID laws. In Iowa, which is implementing a new voter ID law this year, the group said they “oppose voter suppression laws like voter ID.”
Boschee consistently voted against North Dakota’s voter ID laws in the Legislature. He actually had more power over voter ID policy there than he would as Secretary of State.
Here’s the full release:
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